


The Space Between

by Steel



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 19:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5346428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steel/pseuds/Steel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they were both awake and tending to their ever-growing camp, Faile acted as if nothing had changed. She saw to everyone's needs and made sure everything was running smoothly, as if she had not been a prisoner for nearly two months. But there was a space between them now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Space Between

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cuddles After Malden](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/160934) by karaburrito. 



> Set sometime during _The Gathering Storm_.

Perrin opened his eyes, squinting up at the tent’s ceiling. It was still dark, but a nearby candle burned nearly to a stub still sputtered with faint light, illuminating the immediate vicinity. His brow furrowed. He didn’t remember lighting it, not really needing candlelight to see in the dark anymore, but that wasn’t what had woken him. Beside him, Faile shifted on the pallet.

_Faile._

His gaze flickered to her, a lump rising in his throat. She was still asleep, or near to waking even though her eyes were still closed. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she had nearly curled her body into a ball, trembling. It was her trembling that had woken him up, though she herself still seemed to be asleep.

He longed to take her in his arms, to tell her everything was all right now that they were together again. But he knew better than to do that, now. It was only a few nights after Malden, and he still did not know the full extent of what had happened to her—though he had his fears, fears he would not voice until she voiced them first—but he knew that if he tried holding her while she was still asleep, even if it was only to comfort her, he would startle her upon awakening, make her think she was still in the Shaido camp.

It had happened the first night, and he had not attempted it again.

When they were both awake and tending to their ever-growing camp, Faile acted as if nothing had changed. She saw to everyone's needs and made sure everything was running smoothly, as if she had not been a prisoner for nearly two months. But there was a space between them now. Even though they had embraced when he found her in Malden, and it had felt so good, so _right_ to hold her in his arms again, they had barely even touched each other since then, for all that they slept side-by-side at night.

It made his heart ache that he couldn’t hold Faile to lend her some of his strength at night without risking to take away what strength she had left in her. The night had a way of making your nightmares, your fears, come to life. She was strong, undeniably so, and never once let it seem as if her captivity had affected her during the day, but at night...

Perrin did what he could, worked at this at Faile’s pace, like any blacksmith patiently toiling away on a long-term project. He remained still beside her, close but not too close, watching her until her eyes fluttered open and she let out a long, ragged sigh. Her dark, tilted eyes took in the candlelight, then looked up at him. There was a flash of something in them that he would never know the root of, but by the Light he hoped he could lend her what strength he could to help her dispel it, with time.

He gazed at her, never breaking eye contact. “I’m glad you’re back,” he whispered, shifting his arm a little to rest his hand behind his head.

Faile said nothing, only scooted closer to him to lay her head upon his arm before wrapping her arms around herself again. But this time her knees were resting against his ribs, and she was as close as she could be without compromising her own personal space. As if to apologize for being unable to do more. Perrin’s heart clenched that she seemed to want to comfort _him_ instead of the other way around.

“I missed you,” she whispered back, some of the tension in her ebbing away. He could feel her muscles relaxing, her breath slowing. She managed a smile, small as it was, and unwrapped one of her arms to reach for the hand he had left resting on his stomach.

He squeezed her hand back before threading his fingers through hers. “I missed you, too.” Smiling was hard, but he smiled. For her.


End file.
